It's Up to You
by ImperfectionIsPerfection
Summary: Riley and Maya sit waiting for the rest of their friends to turn up and get seniors instead. They talk about love triangles, and different ways to end them. - My version of part 2. Don't read if you haven't seen part 1/know anything about it. Might spoil slightly.


"Maya, has high school changed them?"

Maya looked at Riley. They were sitting in Topanga's, on the little couch, waiting (hoping) for the rest of their friends to turn up. Again. Last time, Farkle had come.

"Honey," Maya started, putting her arms around Riley and hugging her close. "High school won't change us. I won't let it."

"Yeah, peaches?" Riley sounded hopeful, and it broke Maya's heart.

"Yeah."

"This is so sweet. Look how cute they are." Riley and Maya broke apart to look at the newcomer. Newcomers. The trio from high school, who put them in the hole, who started all this, who were apparently trying to help.

"You!" Riley said, pointing her finger at the brunette. The blonde smiled and mimicked her.

"Her!" She said, laughing slightly as she pointed her own finger at her brunette friend. Riley lowered her finger and looked at them, confused. "Did we ever introduce ourselves? No? We should, shouldn't we?" She turned to look at her friends. The girl shrugged but the guy nodded. "Alright, I'm Francesca. That's Nikki," she said, pointing to the brunette on her left.

"And I'm Thor. Really. It's on my birth certificate and everything," he said, laughing slightly. Francesca nudged his shoulder and he smiled at her.

So," Francesca said, gesturing to the two girls, "how's high school?" Riley frowned.

"It's new." Maya said, unsure of what to say.

"Waiting for your little group?" Thor said. Maya still couldn't believe that was his real name. Even though he said it was. It had to be a nickname.

"Yes," said Riley at the same time Maya said no. They looked at each other. "We thought they might turn up this time." Riley said, speaking for the both of them even though she knew it was just her. Maya was here for Riley. Riley was the one who was waiting for them. Maya didn't think they'd come, or at least she had said as much.

"I see," Nikki said. She was smiling, but the kind of smile that seemed private, just for her.

"And you're here for her?" Francesca asked, talking to Maya. Maya nodded. "Remember when we were like that? Protecting each other from the world? At least, until Thor here happened."

"Thor happened? What happened? Thor?" Riley repeated, perking up. Maya figured Riley thought this was part of the lesson they were being taught. Stupid Matthews, putting expectations on them.

"You guys had a part in this too, you know." Thor said. Nikki laughed, and Thor looked at her softly. Maya wondered what their situation was.

"We," Francesca said, gesturing to herself, Thor and Nikki, "were in a love triangle. Like you see in the movies. Only there was no solution. We tried them all. Didn't work in time."

"It drove all our friends away," Nikki said, sitting on the seat next to Riley and Maya. Francesca followed, and Thor went to the seat opposite them. "We used to be a nice little group of 5. Close, too. But our feelings ruined it. Thor dated me. Thor dated her. I dated her. Neither of them worked. We had a solution, but a little too late. Most of our friends had grown tired of our situation," Nikki said. She grabbed hold of Francesca's hand and interlaced them.

Thor picked up the conversation then, moving from the left of Maya to stand behind the two older girls. "We saw something of ourselves in you guys. We didn't want you to end up like us. We were a mess. Still are, sometimes. We're still figuring this out. Our boundaries... Anyway, we put you in the hole because we thought high school might separate you guys. And that, if you got through the hole together, you get through high school together. We're sorry for meddling. This is our first time meddling in someone else's mess."

"You were in a triangle? And you solved it?" Riley asked. Maya was twisting her friendship ring round her finger, back and forth, as she watched the trio.

"Yeah. Not the conventional way," Nikki said, scoffing slightly. She tugged on Thor's arm lightly. The girls watched as they all manoeuvred so the three of them could sit on the tiny bench seat near the window. They were squished together, but they didn't look uncomfortable. They looked happy.

"We realised, while we tore ourselves apart to figure things out, that we all loved each other. We worked better together, the three of us. So, that's what we decided. The three of us, together. We-"

Nikki interrupted him then, but he didn't seem to mind. "I date her. I date him. They date me. They date each other. It works for us." She said, shrugging.

"Some people don't get it, so it's still hard to keep friends around. But we like it. It just feels better, you know?" Francesca looked at them as she said this, and Maya found herself nodding.

"We're in a love triangle too," Maya found herself saying. Opening up, to strangers. Not like herself. But she was thinking Riley was right. They were trying to help. They were trying to give them a lesson. And she'd let them.

"With Lucas," Riley added, feeling the need to contribute to the conversation. "The tall friend you saw us with. He tried to intimidate you, " she reminded them, jerking her chin in Thor's direction.

"Oh yeah. I remember him. Seems a nice guy. What did you try to end your triangle? We kept the status quo at first. I was dating this one first," Thor said, nudging his shoulder into Francesca's. "Then I realised I liked Nikki too. And I told them both, but we all decided it was fine. So we kept dating. Then I dated Nikki, but it didn't work out either. She realised she loved Francesca, so they dated. And now here we are, dating each other."

"Well, I dated Lucas first. Then I found out about Maya's feeling for him, so I broke up with him. They dated a little, some stuff happened, and now we both have feelings for him and don't know how to end it."

"And him? Lucas, was it? He has feelings for both of you?" Nikki asked, watching as Riley nodded and Maya played with her ring. She assumed Maya didn't believe this as much as Riley did.

"We can't end your triangle for you. You have to figure out what solution works for you. We had plenty of people giving us their opinion on our relationship, and our feelings. But ultimately, it was up to us. Only we could figure out what worked and what didn't. What we felt. And you have to do that too. All __three__ of you." Francesca said, stressing the word three. Nobody pointed out that Lucas wasn't there.

"That seems reasonable," Riley said, just to have something to say. This was a lot to process and think about. And they'd have to tell Lucas about it later too.

"Did we help?" Francesca asked excitedly, her hand squeezing Thor's thigh.

"Maybe," Maya replied, still thinking about all they said. Francesca smiled and clapped her hands, and Riley joined her. Thor and Nikki smiled indulgently at their girlfriend. Maya stopped thinking of her triangle dilemma to smile at Riley.

Maybe, Maya thought, watching Riley's eye light up and grin widen as she bounced on her seat slightly. Maybe this would work out.


End file.
